The core trends shaping
the UK travel landscape
in the 2020s
Executive
Summary
In the Dentsu Consumer Vision 2030, we
identified four overarching themes that will shape
the next ten years in terms of consumer behaviour
and brand response. Now, we have applied these
themes to more specifically examine how the
UK travel sector will change in the next decade
and what this means for travel brands. Each is
underpinned by three key trends—developed
through a thorough, bottom-up identification,
assessment and prioritisation of the key consumer
shifts impacting the travel sector.
The research is based on our insight partner
Foresight Factory’s proprietary UK consumer
surveys and trends database; in-depth interviews
with a panel of brand and travel experts; a
comprehensive innovation scan; and extensive
secondary research and case study analysis. It
aims to inspire and inform fruitful discussion
regarding changing consumer behaviour and the
consequent implications for travel brands through
to 2030.
As the world adapts to life in the new
normal, it’s time to go back to the future.
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Staycations and domestic tourism continue to see high demand:
In 2021, 1 in 4 GB consumers planned to have a holiday in their
country more often in the next 12 months than they did before the
pandemic, and this peaks at over 1 in 3 Millennials.
International travel among GB consumers has not yet rebounded:
18% of GB consumers in 2021 planned to holiday abroad more
often in the next 12 months than they did pre-pandemic, but 31%
plan to do so less often. This propensity towards less international
travel holds true even among frequent pre-pandemic vacationers.
Those most afraid of COVID will not be going abroad:
Unsurprisingly, among GB consumers who state that their top
fear over the next five years is risk of infectious diseases (such
as coronavirus), 39% plan to take a holiday abroad less often in
the next 12 months, 8 percentage points higher than the national
average.
But Gen Z consumers are more open to international travel:
Bucking the topline trend, 1 in 3 Gen Z expect to travel abroad more
often in the coming year than they did before the pandemic. Only 1
in 10 Boomers say the same.
The impact of COVID-19
on the travel sector
It is important to note that the key trends explored in this report have all been developed with an initial consideration of the short- and
longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel sector. Indeed, it is hard to think of a sector more impacted by the pandemic
than the global travel sector. As Richard Nicholls, Head of Research and Forecasting at Visit Britain states “The pandemic was the first time,
in living memory, that we saw anything on this scale disrupting international travel.”
In particular, Foresight Factory research highlights the continuing influence of the pandemic on holiday and travel choices. For example:
However, despite such short-term impacts, a return to more normalised travel patterns is expected in a relatively short period of time; albeit
with new and accelerated forms of consumer demand emerging because of the lasting impact of the pandemic. In this report, we seek to
acknowledge the influence of COVID-19 on travel expectations and behaviour, but look further out to 2030 to see how such consumer
mindset changes will evolve over the short, medium and longer term.
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So here they are.
The 2030 travel trends your
brand must master today:
Trend 1: Greener Travel
Trend 2: Regenerative Travel
Trend 3: Equitable Travel
Trend 1: Virtual Travel
Trend 2: Extended Travel
Trend 3: Synthetic Destinations
Trend 1: Back to Nature
Trend 2: Digital Nomads
Trend 3: Local Allure
Travel in the age of
Universal Activism
Travel in the age of
Bigger Bolder Brands
Travel in the age of
The Human Dividend
Travel in the age of
Synthetic Society
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Trend 1: Personalisation Perfected
Trend 2: Wellness Tourism
Trend 3: Members-only Travel